The area known as Delmarva is located along the east coast and includes the state of Delaware along with the eastern shore counties of Maryland and Virginia. The peninsula is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River, Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and while we are just a few hours from many major cities such as D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, we are definitely a distinctive place. "Community • Local • Together We Accomplish More"

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

A Tale of a Small Business Owner and a Lost Dog

Why does this note begin with a picture of a dog? Well, because this dog belongs to a family, who considers her a very important member of it and are so grateful to have her home.......you'll see in just a bit. But first, to give some perspective about life and community and the people who matter, read about the other side of things....

Today I came across a post via one of the Delaware animal shelters. It was in regards to the article below about a worker being fired for helping a starving puppy, and it really drives home the point of another recent story I'd like to share with you. This is one of the comments which was posted and which I agree with whole-heartedly. And if you've read some of my previous posts you may know that said awful-mart remains on my list of things to avoid. Forever."What an outrage! Reasonably, no one is insisting Walmart become a defacto adoption shelter, but for a corporation which Walmart’s online and in-store pet sales “controls about 25% of the pet products market, making it the No. 1 seller of pet products,” shouldn’t one little puppy be allowed a few minutes temporary protection until rescue arrives?"A few weeks ago, a dog escaped from it's owners following an auto accident in Delaware. I saw the story when it was posted by some of the local animal shelters who had caught wind of the news and were assisting in the search. After some digging, I found that much of the online postings and photos were coming from the owner of a local pet grooming shop. The dog's owner was one of her clients and upon learning the situation and without wasting any time, Michelle jumped in to assist people she knew and cared about.For days the story of Sophie was shared around the Delmarva area and posted via facebook many times. I noticed Michelle continuing to share updates and info, respond to calls and emails about the missing pet, and also learned she was out physically searching along with the others in the frigid 20-degree weather that blanketed our area. All I could think is that had this been a chain store where the dog went for grooming, would Petsmart or another corporation make this effort? Furthermore, would they even allow posters or fliers to be placed at their business? Learning last summer of grocery stores in southern Delaware that refused to post fliers for an elderly gentleman's dog with medical issues, makes me think "corporate policy" is a good way to get out of responsibility.Finally - days later - there was an update on Sophie, the lost golden retriever dog. The hunt for her ended in a dramatic capture involving a number of people, including....yes, you got it - the owner of the local pet salon who was still out there with her customers till the end. It was wonderful to see the lengths people will go to for one another, and a sharp contrast to the first scenario mentioned in this post.This picture was taken by the family after Sophie was recovered. It's pretty priceless, wouldn't you agree?

I don't know about you, but I'm going to keep up my relationships with the local businesses where I live. I know it's not as convenient to have to be there by 5pm when they close perhaps, since the chain stores are open until 9pm, but you know what.....I'll just deal with it.I value the chance to know who I'm supporting with my spending. I hope you do too.